Jennifer Grey, best known for her role in "Dirty Dancing," announced the death of her mother, Jo Wilder, who passed away at age 94 after choosing to end her life following a lung cancer diagnosis. Grey shared the news on Instagram on Thursday, describing her mother as "brave" and "deep."
Mother's Final Choice
"My mother, Jo Wilder, passed away on July 4th at 94 — by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived," Grey wrote alongside a carousel of throwback photos. "A week earlier, she learned she had lung cancer. True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy."
Grey emphasized that Wilder had been "a promising young actress on the New York stage in her youth" but chose to prioritize motherhood over her career. "If she'd chosen ambition over my brother and me, we never would have had the mother we had," Grey wrote, referring to her brother, James Katz, a chef. She concluded: "I love you, Mom. Thank you for showing me how to do it all, even this, with grace."
Outpouring of Support
As of Thursday afternoon, Grey's post drew numerous condolences from Hollywood friends. Musician Richard Marx commented, "How lucky you are to be able to write such a tribute to your obviously awesome AF mom. I'm sure she was so proud of the woman you are. Sending love." Actor Julianne Moore added, "So sorry for your loss."
Jo Wilder's Life and Career
Wilder was born in Brooklyn, New York, and made her Broadway debut in the musical "She Loves Me" in 1963. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, she appeared on TV series such as "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "The Detectives." In 1958, she married actor Joel Grey. Jennifer Grey later recalled her mother realizing "it wasn't practical for there to be more than one actor in the family, and that, according to her, my dad 'needed it more.'"
In her 2022 memoir "Out of the Corner," Grey wrote, "I could sense an intensity fueling her singing of show tunes and opera around the house, the volume and vibrato reverberating against the tiled bathroom walls as she bathed me, more suitable for a stage than a bath-time melody. Like she'd been cast out prematurely, unfairly rejected from her intended trajectory."
Family Dynamics
Joel Grey achieved major success, winning an Oscar in 1973 for his role in "Cabaret." He and Wilder divorced in 1982, and he came out as gay in 2015. Despite the split, they remained on good terms and made public appearances together. Jennifer Grey, currently working on a sequel to "Dirty Dancing," has often paid tribute to Wilder. In 2022, she said on "Live with Kelly and Mark," "I'm so grateful that I still have my mother. She's such a beautiful, beautiful woman, and she's been just such an incredible champion of mine."
